< Back to Current Version

Policy and Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: Finding Documents, Analysis, News, and Training

Changes from January 11, 2016 to March 28, 2018

This page shows textual changes in the document between the two versions indicated in the dates above. Textual matter removed in the later version is indicated with red strikethrough and textual matter added in the later version is indicated with blue.


Policy and Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources

January 11, 2016Finding Documents, Analysis, News, and Training March 28, 2018 (R43434)
Jump to Main Text of Report

Contents

Appendixes

Summary

This report is one of a series of reports on legislative process and research; it is intended to serve as a finding aid to sources of information, such as documents, news articles, analysis, contacts, and services, used inintended to serve as a finding aid for congressional documents, executive branch documents and information, news articles, policy analysis, contacts, and training, for use in policy and legislative research. It does not define or describe the purpose of various government documents; that information can be found in companion CRS Report R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff and CRS Report RL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff. This report is not intended to be a definitive list of all resources, but rather a guide to pertinent subscriptions available in the House and Senate in addition to select resources freely available to the public. This report is intended for use by congressional staff andfor use by Members and congressional office staff will be updated annuallyas needed.


Policy and Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources

Introduction

Finding Documents, Analysis, News, and Training

Introduction

During the legislative process, many documents are prepared by Congress and its committees. Governmental and non-governmentalnongovernmental entities track and record congressional activities, and many more entities chronicle and analyze the development of public policy. The wide availability of such information can be overwhelmingdaunting to those involved in policy and legislative research. The purpose of this report is to assist Members and congressional staff in identifying and accessing key resources used during legislative researchsuch research. The resources' titles and access information are presented in eight tables. The tables provide information on how to find congressional documents (Table 1); information on tracking legislative activity (Table 2); executive branch documents and information (Table 3); information about legislative support agencies (Table 4); congressional news sources (Table 5); policy and scholarly research sources (Table 6 and Table 7); and research-related training and services for congressional staff (Table 8).

This report does not define or describe the purpose of the various information resources and documents; that information can be found in companion CRS Report R41865, Legislative History ResearchRL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff and CRS Report RL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff.

. Additional reports on congressional operations are available in the "Congressional Process, Administration, & Elections" page on CRS.gov, at http://www.crs.gov/iap/congressional-process-administration-and-elections.

This report is not a comprehensive catalog of resources for conducting policy and legislative research; instead, it provides a selection of widely used electronic resources. Some of the resources mentioned are only availableavailable only with a paid subscription, whereas others are free:; this availability is noted in the report along with the access points for Members and congressional staffcongressional staff. Print resources for time periods not covered by the resources listed in the tables may be available from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Law Library of Congress, or the House and Senate Libraries. The inclusion of resources in this report does not imply endorsement by the Congressional Research Service (CRS)CRS of the content or the products listed. In addition, CRS does not acquire or manage congressional offices' access to subscription resources.

CRS is available for consultation on policy and legislative research or to perform legislativesuch research upon request. CRS can also advise Members and congressional staff on the use of the resources listed in this report, including advice on how to select the best resource to use, how to search for information within a resource, or how to develop the most effective research methodology. This report is one of a series of reports on legislative process and research; see Table A-2 for other reports in the series.

Legislative Research: Documents and Resources

The resource titles and access points are presented in four tables. The tables provide information on how to find congressional and other government documents relevant to the legislative process (Table 1); information from congressional news sources and legislative support agencies (Table 2); experts and contacts from think tanks, academia, executive branch agencies, and CRS (Table 3); and research-related training and services for Members and congressional staff (Table 4).

Table 1 serves as a reference guide for locating legislative and executive branch documents using free, subscription, and restricted access resources. The first column of the table contains documents commonly used in legislative research. The second column lists where these documents can be found. The third column contains typical citations for the documents listed in the first column. The fourth column contains explanatory notes and references to other information.

Italicized entries in the second column indicate a subscription-based resource available in most House and Senate offices and also at CRS reference centers (whose locations and hours of operation are available in Table 4). Unless otherwise indicated, all other resources listed are freely available to all congressional offices.

Table A-1 provides additional information on the items contained Congressional Documents Table 1 serves as a reference guide for locating congressional documents using both freely available and subscription-based resources. The first column of the tables lists documents commonly used in policy and legislative research and typical citations for such documents. The second column lists resources where these documents can be accessed. The third column contains explanatory notes. Table 2 provides information about how to access House and Senate committee schedules, floor schedules, calendars, and floor proceedings, all of which can be helpful in tracking congressional activities. Access to subscription resources can vary among CRS, Senate, and House offices. See the notes within the tables for more information. CRS subscriptions can be accessed through the CRS La Follette Congressional Reading Room (locations and hours of operation are available in Table 8). Unless otherwise indicated, all other resources are freely available. Table A-1 provides additional information on the resources in Table 1, including more detailed descriptions and URLs linking directly to the resources (when available).

Table 1. Legislative and Executive BranchCongressional Documents

    Committees may make draft legislation or scanned markups of legislation available. To locate committee websites, see listed information on the Congress.gov committee pages at https://www.congress.gov/committees. Individual sponsors may also post draft legislation on their Member page.       Includes only pending amendments; no older data are retained. See http://ats.senate.gov/.   Roll Call Votes(Roll no. 30, Record Vote Number: 11) This resource links to House votes (1990-present) and Senate votes (1989-present). In an individual bill overview, see the "Roll Call Votes" section, or navigate to the "Actions" tab within a bill page. For more information, see https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/Votes+in+the+House+and+Senate.   Available 1990-present. See http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/legvotes.aspx.   Available 1989-present. See https://www.senate.gov/legislative/votes.htm.   Public Laws (P.L. 111-148)     Statutes at Large(124 Stat. 119)   The online U.S. Code is frequently updated, and the currency date is displayed above the text of each section. The main edition of the U.S. Code is published every six years by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives, with annual cumulative supplements. The current edition of the Code was published in 2006.

The House Office of the Legislative Counsel prepares unofficial compilations of public laws as amended that either do not appear in the U.S. Code or that have been classified to a title of the Code that has not been enacted into positive law. Each compilation indicates the most recently enacted public law that amended the provisions compiled. See https://legcounsel.house.gov/.  

Full text available back to 1932.

The Congressional Record bound edition is the permanent version. The bound edition is edited, revised, and rearranged, and so does not exactly replicate the daily version. The pagination is continuous for each session, but there is no H, S, or E (for Extensions of Remarks) before each page number. There is a volume number for each session and there are numerous parts to each volume. The final two volumes of the permanent Record of each session are an index containing a history of bills and resolutions and a compilation of Daily Digests for the session.

   

The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes full text from 1985 to present.

.gov or Congress.gov (1989-present)

CQ.com

ProQuest Congressional

Committee websites may offer transcripts, witness statements, or webcasts. To locate committee websites, see listed information on the Congress.gov committee pages, at https://www.congress.gov/committees.   See official published hearings on the "Browse Congressional Hearings" page at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/chrg (coverage dates vary by committee).         Offers streaming coverage or recordings of hearings, as well as unofficial captions. The C-SPAN video library contains all C-SPAN programming that has aired since 1987. Some programs aired since 2003 have searchable text transcripts of the program's closed captioning. See https://www.c-span.org/.       Committees sometimes make markup materials available. To locate committee websites, see listed information on the Congress.gov committee pages at https://www.congress.gov/committees.  

Committee Prints

(H.Prt. 110-23, S.Prt. 109-88) Full text available 1975-1976 and 1991-present at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cprt.  

Source: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Note: Resources listed are available to congressional offices unless otherwise noted.

Table 2. Tracking Congressional Activity   See http://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByWeek.aspx.   See https://www.senate.gov/committees/committee_hearings.htm.        

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Note: Resources listed are available to congressional offices.

Executive Branch Documents and Information Table 3 serves as a reference guide for locating executive branch documents and information using freely available resources. The first column of the table lists documents or information commonly used in policy and legislative research and typical citations for such documents, where applicable. The second column lists resources where these materials can be accessed. The third column contains explanatory notes. Table A-1 provides additional information on the resources in Table 3, including more detailed descriptions and URLs linking directly to the resources (when available). Table 3. Executive Branch Documents and Information     The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) annual edition is available back to 1996 at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cfr. The Parallel Table of Authorities and Rules (https://www.govinfo.gov/help/cfr#parallel-table) lists rulemaking authority for regulations codified in the CFR.   The National Archives and Records Administration compiles and maintains Executive Order Disposition Tables, which provide the status of executive orders from January 8, 1937, to the current administration. See http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/disposition.html.   Executive orders are also published in the following resources: the Federal Register, Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Compilation of Presidential Documents (https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cpd). Published in the Federal Register. Also available from 1993 to present in the Compilation of Presidential Documents (https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cpd). Published in the Federal Register. Also available from 1993 to present in the Compilation of Presidential Documents (https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cpd). The OMB website provides the current President's Budget at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/.   Budgets from FY1996 to present are available from the Government Publishing Office at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/BUDGET.

Agencies make a variety of information about their policies and programs available on their websites, including policy manuals, memoranda, notices, program instructions, performance metrics, enrollment/participation numbers, inspector general reports, and research on program planning, implementation, or effectiveness.

A list of executive branch agencies and links to their websites can be found at https://www.usa.gov/executive-departments.

 

Law Library of Congress (or call CRS: [phone number scrubbed])

The Department of State's Treaty Office makes treaties from 1996 to 2014 available at https://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/tias/.

Document

Access Pointsa

(Sample Citations)

Example Citationsb

Access Points

Notes

Bills and Amendments

Bills and Resolutions

1993 to present

LIS.gov or Congress.gov

CQ.com

ProQuest Congressional

H.R. 123, S.Res. 200

See CRS reports on Bills and Resolutions: Origins and Introduction.c

For a basic explanation of how a bill becomes law, see Figure A-1.

Bills and Resolutions

before 1993

Law Library of Congress (or call CRS: [phone number scrubbed])

ProQuest Congressional

S. 236, H.Con.Res. 728

The Law Library Reading Room contains microfiche, microfilm, and ultrafiche materials, including federal bills and resolutions dating back to the 1st Congress.d

CRS has access to ProQuest Congressional, which offers bill and resolution text going back to 1789. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ.

Floor Amendments

LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1981-present)

Senate Amendment Tracking System

CQ.com

S.Amdt. 15, H.Amdt. 75

Published in the Congressional Record.

On LIS.gov, amendments can be found under "Bill Status with Amendments" or "Amendments" on the Bill Summary & Status page.

On Congress.gov, amendments can be found under the "Amendments" tab or the "Actions" tab, clicking "All Actions, including Floor Amendments" on a bill page.

Laws

Statutes (laws)

LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1995-present)

ProQuest Congressional

P.L. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119

LIS.gov links to GPO FDsys and Congress.gov hosts the GPO PDF of the law. For older laws, refer to ProQuest Congressional or call CRS at [phone number scrubbed].

U.S. Code

uscode.house.gov

Cornell LII

42 USC 543, 35 U.S.C. §123(a)

Resolutions (H.R. 123, S. 345, H.Res. 678,S.J.Res. 910)

Congress.gov

Full text available 1989-present. Bill summaries available 1973-present.

CQ.com

The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes bill text from 1995 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ.

ProQuest Congressional

The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes bill and resolution text for all Congresses. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ.

Draft Legislation and Amended Legislation not yet available in Congress.gov

Member or committee websites

docs.house.gov

Committee documents may include draft legislation to be discussed at committee meetings.

CQ.com

Manager's amendments and scanned markups of reported bills may be posted on "Bills to be Considered on the House Floor."

See the CQ "Hot Docs" page or the "Draft Bill Text" page.

Draft legislation may circulate among Members and the press prior to formal introduction.

Bill text may not be available from the Government Publishing Office (GPO) and Congress.gov for several days following introduction or subsequent congressional action.

Floor Amendments

(S.Amdt. 15, H.Amdt. 75)

Congress.gov

Full text available 1995-present. Amendment status available 1981-present. Amendments can be found under the "Amendments" tab on a bill page, linking to full text in the Congressional Record.

Senate Amendment Tracking System

CQ.com

The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes the full text of amendments from 2001 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ.

Congress.gov

House.gov

Senate.gov

CQ.com

The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes access from 1983 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ.

All roll call votes are available in the Congressional Record. To find votes on specific issues, over a time period, or other criteria, call CRS at [phone number scrubbed].

Congress.gov

Full text available 1995-present.

govinfo.gov

Full text available 1995-present.

ProQuest Congressional

The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes public law text for all Congresses. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ.

govinfo.gov

Full text available 1951-2011.

ProQuest Congressional

The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes Statutes at Large from 1955 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ.

U.S. Code

(42 USC 543, 35 U.S.C. §123(a))

Office of the Law Revision Counsel

Floor Debate

Congressional Record Bound

ProQuest Congressional

142 Cong. Rec. 15466

The Congressional Record bound edition is the permanent version. Its text is somewhat edited, revised and rearranged in comparison to the daily version. The pagination is continuous for each session; but there is no H, S, or E (for Extensions of Remarks) before each page number. There is a volume number for each session and See http://uscode.house.gov/.

Statute Compilations

(Higher Education Act, Public Health Service Act)

Office of the Legislative Counsel

Congressional Record Bound

(142 Cong. Rec. 15466)

ProQuest Congressional

The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes Congressional Record Permanent Edition text going back to 1789 (the Congressional Record was preceded by the Annals of Congress, Register of Debates, and Congressional Globe). Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ.

govinfo.gov

Congressional Record Daily

(158 Cong. Rec. H5618)

LISCongress.gov

Full text available 1995-present. See "Congressional Record" link at top of any page.

CQ.com

The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes full text from 1987 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ.

ProQuest Congressional

158 Cong. Rec. H5618

The Congressional Record daily edition reports each day's proceedings in Congress and is published on the succeeding day. Pagination is preceded by an H, S, or E, to indicate whether the recorded text took place in the House, the Senate, or was an Extension of Remarks. Periodically, throughout a session, indices to the daily Record are published.

Floor Votes

CQ.com

LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1990-present)

House.gov

Senate.gov

CQ Almanac (for votes pre-1990)

Roll no. 30, Record Vote Number: 11

Votes are published in Congressional Record. On LIS.gov, votes can be found under "Major Actions" while viewing Bill Summary & Status. On Congress.gov, see the "Actions" tab under "Major Actions." To find votes on specific issues, over a time period, or other criteria, call CRS at [phone number scrubbed].

Committee Actions

 

Committee Schedules

CQ.com

LIS.gov or Congress.gov

House.gov

Senate.gov

 

See CQ Schedules.

Committee Hearings (official)

Committee websites

GPO FDsys

ProQuest Congressional

S. Hrg. 106-67

Committee Hearing Transcripts and Webcasts (unofficial)

CQ.com

C-Span

Committee websites

 

Consider contacting the committee staff for hearing transcripts unavailable through these sources.

Committee Reports

LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1995-present)

CQ.com

ProQuest Congressional

H.Rept. 112-14, S.Rept. 110-55

Committee Markup

CQ.com

Committee websites

 

 

Committee Rosters

CQ.com

GPO FDsys

Committee websites

 

 

Committee Prints

GPO FDsys

ProQuest Congressional

S. Prt. 109-88

 

Draft Legislation

Committee websites

CQ.com

Sponsor's website

 

For CQ.com, see the CQ "Hot Docs" page.

Regulations

Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices

FederalRegister.gov

GPO FDsys

Regulations.gov

59 Federal Register 4233

Published in the Federal Register. See corresponding entry in Table A-1 for additional information.

General and Permanent Rules (codified)

GPO FDsys

15 C.F.R. 254

Published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Executive Branch Information

Executive Orders

National Archives

GPO FDsys

E.O. 12893

Published in the Federal Register, Compilation of Presidential Documents, and title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Grants

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

 

See CRS Report RL34035, Grants Work in a Congressional Office, CRS Report RL34012, Resources for Grantseekers, and CRS Report RL32159, How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal.

Presidential Signing Statements

GPO FDsys

 

Published in the Federal Register, Compilation of Presidential Documents. See CRS Reports on Presidential Action on Legislation.

The President's Fiscal Year Budget Proposal

OMB

GPO FDsys

 

See CRS Report 98-721, Introduction to the Federal Budget Process and CRS Report R43475, FY2016 Budget Documents: Internet and GPO Availability.

Miscellaneous Information

Appropriations Bills

CRS Appropriations Status Table

 

Available from FY1999-Present on CRS.gov.

See also CRS Report R42388, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction.

Cost Estimates of Current Bills

CBO

 

Published under the "Cost Estimates" section of the website.

Legislative Histories (compilations)

ProQuest Congressional

 

See CRS Report R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff.

State Laws and Regulations

LLSDC: State Legislatures, Laws, and Regulations

 

For assistance on identifying state laws and regulations, call CRS at [phone number scrubbed]Committee Hearings

(H.Hrg. 105-209, S.Hrg. 106-67)

Committee websites

govinfo.gov

docs.house.gov

See "Committee Repository" for committee documents, which may include witness bios, statements, and preliminary transcripts.

ProQuest Congressional

The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes records of hearings from 1824 to present. Full text of the published hearing is available when it is issued by GPO. Unofficial transcripts may be available for unpublished hearings and hearings not yet published by GPO. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ.

CQ.com

The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes unofficial hearing transcripts for select hearings from the 104th Congress (1995) to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ.

C-SPAN

Committee Reports

(H.Rept. 112-14, S.Rept. 110-55)

Congress.gov

Full text available 1995-present. On a bill page, select the "Committees" tab. Or click on the Committees links at the top of any page and see the links to House and Senate reports on the right side of the page.

ProQuest Congressional

The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes committee report text going back to 1789. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ.

CQ.com

The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes full text from 1995 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ.

Committee Markups and Committee Amendments

CQ.com

The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes committee markup coverage, including committee votes, from 2000 to present, with committee amendments from 2005 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ.

Committee websites

docs.house.gov

Materials in the "Committee Repository" may include staff memos, documents summarizing legislation or amendments, unofficial transcripts, and vote records.

Note that committee reports may include information on amendments offered in committee or committee votes.

govinfo.gov

ProQuest Congressional

The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes committee prints from 1830 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ.

Access Points

Notes

Committee Schedules

House.gov

Senate.gov

CQ.com

On the CQ homepage, navigate to the "Schedules" tab.

Floor Schedules and Calendars

Congress.gov

See "Calendars and Schedules" for links to House and Senate leadership schedules outlining when the chamber will meet and legislation scheduled for consideration.

docs.house.gov

See "Bills To Be Considered on the House Floor" for links to the text of legislation scheduled for consideration.

CRS.gov

See "On the Floor" for links to CRS products that focus on legislation or some of the key issues involved in legislation slated to receive floor debate during the week.

Floor Proceedings

House.gov

See "Floor Proceedings" tab under "Legislative Activity" on the homepage.

Senate.gov

See "Floor Proceedings" section on the homepage.

Document/Information

Access Points

Notes

Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices published in the Federal Register

(59 Federal Register 4233)

FederalRegister.gov

FederalRegister.gov provides coverage from 1994 to present.

govinfo.gov

govinfo.gov provides coverage from 1980 to present.

regulations.gov

regulations.gov includes public comments in addition to final regulations, notices, and other regulatory documents.

Code of Federal Regulations

(15 C.F.R. 254)

govinfo.gov

ecfr.gov

The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a regularly updated, unofficial editorial compilation of current CFR material and Federal Register amendments. It does not contain historical CFR material.

Executive Orders

(E.O. 12893)

Executive Order Disposition Tables (National Archives)

govinfo.gov

Presidential Proclamations

(Proclamation 9645)

govinfo.gov

Presidential Signing Statements

govinfo.gov

The President's Fiscal Year Budget Proposal

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

govinfo.gov

Agency Budget Justifications

Federal agency websites

An agency's budget justification (also referred to as a congressional justification) typically contains a detailed description of each program activity and an explanation of the proposed changes for the next fiscal year. They are usually available on the agency's website, and are also published as part of the appropriations subcommittee hearing.

CRS Report R43470, Selected Agency Budget Justifications for FY2018, by Justin Murray provides links to the budget justifications for selected federal agencies.

Agency policy guidance, program information, oversight and performance reports, research reports, and statistics

Federal agency websites

Treaties

Congress.gov

Senate.gov

.gov

Treaty documents are available on Congress.gov for all treaties submitted to the Senate since the 94th Congress (1975-1976). Treaties submitted prior to the 94th Congress are included if they were pending in 1975.

 

See CRS Report 98-384, Senate Consideration of Treaties U.S. Treaties collection includes the United States Treaty Series (1795-1945), available digitally at http://www.loc.gov/law/help/us-treaties/bevans.php, and United States Treaties and Other International Agreements or TIAS (1950-1982), which is only available in print.  

U.S. Department of State

Source: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Notes: Plain text indicates the resource listed is freely available; Italics indicate a subscription-based resource available in most House and Senate offices, and also at CRS research centers.

a. More detailed descriptions and direct links to these resources are available in Table A-1.

b. For official legal citation style, refer to: The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (https://www.legalbluebook.com). The Government Printing Office Style Manual is another guide for official citation formats and is available online at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action?granuleId=&packageId=GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008.

c. Refer to the Congressional Operations section of the CRS website for a list of reports providing analysis, resources, and information on key legislative and administrative processes and procedures of the Congress.

d. For further information, refer to the Law Library's page on microtext collections at http://www.loc.gov/law/find/microtext.php.

News and Analysis

Table 2 serves as a finding aid for resources covering current events related to Congress and the legislative process. Resources in this table may contain editorial content and discussion Compiled by CRS. Legislative Support Agencies The legislative support agencies are designed to be nonpartisan, objective, and impartial. The agencies each serve the Congress in different ways. Contact information for each agency and a description of each agency and its services is outlined in Table 4, below. Table 4. Legislative Support Agencies

Agency

Access Point and Contact

Description and Services

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

https://www.cbo.gov

Cost estimates: Budget Analysis Division, (202)226-2800, [email address scrubbed] Other inquiries: Associate Director for Legislative Affairs, [phone number scrubbed], congressionalaffairs@cbo.gov

CBO produces independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the congressional budget process, including reports, projections, cost estimates, scorekeeping, sequestration reports, budget options, and others. CBO does not make policy recommendations.

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

http://www.crs.gova Place a request:[phone number scrubbed], http://www.crs.gov/PlaceARequest

CRS provides comprehensive research and analysis on all legislative and oversight issues of interest to Congress. CRS assists Members and staff with identifying and clarifying policy options; analyzing the implications of proposed policies; and assessing policy, procedural, and oversight options. Acting as a research extension to the staff of each Member and committee, CRS provides consultations, confidential memoranda, reports, briefing documents, videos, advice on process and procedures, expert committee testimony, and seminars.

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

https://www.gao.gov

Congressional relations: [phone number scrubbed], [email address scrubbed] Watchdog (http://watchdog.gao.gov) is a website specifically for Members and congressional staff.b

GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. GAO's work is done at the request of congressional committees or subcommittees or as directed by public laws or committee reports. GAO's products include reports, testimonies, correspondence, and legal decisions and opinions. GAO also produces special publications to assist Congress and executive branch agencies by recommending corrections to problems in government programs and operations, identifying long-term trends, and raising concerns about the nation's fiscal imbalance.

Source: Compiled by CRS from agency websites.

Notes: Congressional liaison offices in other branches of government, including the judicial branch, executive branch, and independent agencies, boards, and commissions provide information and services to congressional staff. For contact information, see CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies.

a. The CRS website (http://www.crs.gov) is available only from congressional computers and devices. b. The GAO Watchdog website (http://watchdog.gao.gov) is available only from congressional computers and devices. News, Policy, and Scholarly Research Sources Table 5, Table 6, and Table 7 serve as finding aids for selected resources covering news, scholarly, and policy research that may be related to Congress and the legislative process. Resources in these tables may contain editorial content and analysis. Inclusion of these resources does not imply endorsement of the views held by the publications listed. Please note that these tables are meant to serve as suggested starting points rather than comprehensive lists of news, scholarly, and policy resources. Congressional users may also access databases subscribed to by the Library of Congress such as ProQuest, LexisNexis, Factiva, EBSCOhost, and many others, onsite in the CRS La Follette Congressional Reading Room and the public reading rooms at the Library of Congress. Additionally, requests for literature searches and full text of specific articles can be submitted to CRS. Congressional users also have access to various databases through the House Library and the Senate Library. Table 5. Congressional News Sources

Source

Access Point

. Inclusion of these resources does not imply endorsement of the views held by the publications listed.

Table 2. Selected Resources for News and Analysis and Relevant Legislative Research

Statistics/Data Digital Commons Network (Academic Consortium) Google Scholar(Google) HathiTrust Digital Library(Academic Consortium) JSTORa(Non-profit ITHAKA) http://www.jstor.org/ National Academies Press(National Academies) https://www.nap.edu/ National Technical Reports Library (U.S. Department of Commerce) https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/ Oxford Research Encyclopedias (Oxford University Press) http://oxfordre.com/ Social Science Research Network (Academic Consortium) https://www.ssrn.com/en/ U.S. Census—Topics, Data, Library, & My Congressional District (U.S. Census Bureau) https://www.census.gov/topics.htmlhttps://www.census.gov/data.htmlhttps://www.census.gov/library.htmlhttps://www.census.gov/mycd/

Source: Compiled by CRS from the Library of Congress catalog.

Notes: "+" indicates that this type of information is included in the source; "—" indicates that this type of information is not included in the source.

a. A subscription-based resource available in many House and Senate offices, and also at CRS research centers. Table 7. Policy and Scholarly Research: Subject-Specific Sources Source (Maintained by) Statistics/Data Research Articles/Reports Bureau of Economic Analysis (U.S. Department of Commerce) https://www.bea.gov/ EDGAR(U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/webusers.htm FRASER and FRED(Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/ NBER Working Papers and Publications(National Bureau of Economic Research) http://www.nber.org/ OECD Data and Publications(Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) http://www.oecd.org/https://data.oecd.org/ Open Knowledge Repository(World Bank) https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/ ERIC and IES(Institute of Education Sciences)

https://eric.ed.gov

https://ies.ed.gov/pubsearch/https://ies.ed.gov/data.asp LLSDC's Legislative Source Book(Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC) http://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook PubAg and Ag Data Commons(U.S. Department of Agriculture) https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/https://data.nal.usda.gov/ PubMed(National Institutes of Health) Science.gov(Interagency Alliance) https://www.science.gov/ WorldWideScience(U.S. Department of Energy) https://worldwidescience.org/ Open Source Center(Intelligence Community's National Open Source Enterprise)

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Note: "+" indicates that this type of information is included in the source; "—" indicates that this type of information is not included in the source.

Training and Services Table 8 contains a list of locations where congressional staff can obtain training and other services on Capitol Hill. Table 8
 

Resource

Access Points

Congressional News & Analysis

CQ

Bloomberg BNAa

http://www.cqbna.com

/
 

The Hill

Bloomberg Government (BGOV)a

http://www.thehillabout.bgov.com/

 

National Journal

CQa

http://www.nationaljournalcq.com/

 

Politico

CQ Roll Call

http://www.politicorollcall.com/

 

Roll Call

The Hill

http://www.rollcallthehill.com/

 

Bloomberg Government (BGOV)

Inside Washington Publishersa

http://about.bgoviwpnews.com/

 

Bloomberg BNA

National Journala

http://www.bna.com/

nationaljournal.com
 

Politico

http://www.politico.com/ Politico Proa http://www.politico.com/pro

Source: Compiled by CRS.

a. A subscription-based resource available in many House and Senate offices, and also at CRS research centers. Table 6. Policy and Scholarly Research: Multidisciplinary Sources Source (Maintained by)

Background Information

Research Articles/ Reports

Access Point(s)

+

+

https://network.bepress.com

+

+

http://scholar.google.com

+

+

https://www.hathitrust.org

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

Subject(s)

Background Information

Access Point(s)

Economics, Business, and Trade

+

+

Finance

+

Economics, Finance, and Banking

+

+

+

Economics

+

+

International Affairs, Economics

+

+

+

Economic Development, International Affairs

+

+

Education

+

+

+

Law

+

Agricultural Sciences

+

+

Biomedicine, Health Care

+

+

https://www.pubmed.gov

Science

+

+

Science

+

Intelligence

+

+

+

https://www.opensource.gov

Journal articles & historical news through Library of Congress databases

Databases such as ProQuest, LexisNexis, Factiva, JSTOR, and EBSCOhost, along with numerous others are available for use onsite at CRS research centers and the public reading rooms at the Library of Congress. See a list of all databases at http://eresources.loc.gov/

Legislative Support Agency Analysis & Resources

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

http://www.crs.gov/

 

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

http://www.cbo.gov/

 

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

http://www.gao.gov/

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Notes: Plain text indicates the resource listed is freely available; Italics indicate a subscription-based resource available in most House and Senate offices, and also at CRS research centers.

Table 3 provides sources and tools to identify experts and contacts outside Congress from the legislative support agencies, executive branch, academia, non-profits, and think tanks. The resources include directories, databases and lists available through House and Senate libraries, CRS reference centers, and online. Contacts from these sources may provide partisan views or analysis. Inclusion of these sources does not imply endorsement of the views held by contacts found using these tools.

Table 3. Finding Experts and Contacts

Name (Publisher)

Access

Notes

The Leadership Library (Leadership Directories, Inc.)

CRS Reference Centers—online access online access via kiosk PCs; see Table 4 for locations

Senate Library– online access, also available in all Senate offices.

House Library—print version only

Formerly known as the Yellow Books. Contact information for over 500,000 leaders of 40,000 United States government, business, professional and nonprofit organizations.

Encyclopedia of Associations (Gale)

CRS Reference Centers—online access online access via kiosk PCs; see Table 4 for locations

Senate Library—online access

Detailed information concerning 23,000+ nonprofit American membership organizations of national scope.

National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations (Gale)

CRS Reference Centers—online access online access via kiosk PCs; see Table 4 for locations

Contact and basic factual information on the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States.

National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States (Columbia Books)

CRS Reference Centers—print version (LCRR only; see Table 4 for location)

House Library—print version

Lists more than 7,500 trade associations, labor unions, professional societies, and similar national groups.

Washington Information Directory (CQ)

CRS Reference Centers—print version (LCRR only; see Table 4 for location)

House Library—print version

Senate Library—print version

Guide to Washington, DC, area governmental and private organizations is arranged in 20 broad subject areas. Under each area, pertinent federal departments and agencies, and private nonprofit organizations are listed.

Washington Representatives (Columbia Books)

CRS Reference Centers—print version (LCRR only; see Table 4 for location)

House Library—print version

Senate Library—print version

This is a list of 17,000 Washington contacts of U.S. trade associations, professional societies, labor unions, corporations, and various special interest and public interest groups.

CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies

CRS website: http://www.crs.gov/resources/Pages/liaisonoffices.aspx

This list of about 200 congressional liaison offices is intended to help congressional offices in contacting government agencies. (For congressional use only.)

Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Knowledge/Thompson Reuters)

CRS Reference Centers—online access (use "Congressional Bookmarks" see Table 4 for locations)

Covers 2,700 of the most important journals in the social sciences and allows users to identify subject area experts.

Federal Register

FederalRegister.gov

This site is jointly administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) to provide an unofficial, HTML edition of the daily Federal Register to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in government decision-making. Notices and proposed rules include contact information for relevant agency experts.

Congressional Research Service

http://www.crs.gov

For confidential, authoritative, and objective research and analysis on issues before Congress. Contact analysts through "Find an Analyst" on CRS.gov, from author contact information reports, or by calling CRS at [phone number scrubbed].

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Training and Services

Table 4 contains a list of locations where congressional staff can obtain training and other services on Capitol Hill.

Table 4. Training and Services

Name

Location and Contact

Hours

Services

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

CRS

Call CRSPhone: [phone number scrubbed] (202-707-5700) and press 1, 5

http://www.crs.gov

a

M-Th 8a-8p
F 8a-6p
(Sat 10a-5p when Congress is in session)

Research and analysis related to legislative issues.

Personalized office briefings.

Training inSeminars on the following topics:
- Appropriations and Budget
- Federal Legal Research
- Legislative Process
- Policy and Legal Seminars
-Issues Programs for District Offices

.

For training and program descriptions and current schedules, visit: http://www.crs.gov/programs/Pages/TrainingProgramDescriptions.aspx

CRS Reference Centers

Events/Index.

La Follette Congressional Reading Room (LCRR)

Library of Congress, Madison Building: LM-202

Phone: [phone number scrubbed]

M-Th 10a-8p
F 10a-6p
Sat 10a-5p when Congress is in session

Database access; reference and research assistance.

CRS Senate Center

Senate, Russell B335

Phone: [phone number scrubbed]

M-F 10a-4p

Database access, meeting space for CRS training and private briefings.

Library of Congress (non-CRS)

Congressional Relations Office (CRO)

202-707-6577

http://www.loc.gov/lcnet/

b

M-F 8:30a-6p

Book loans, tours of the Library of Congress, constituent services,and educational resources

.

Law Library of Congress

Library of Congress, Madison Building: LM-201

202-707-2700

http://www.loc.gov/law/

M-F 8:30a-9:30p
Sat 8:30a-5p, and whenever Congresseither chamber is in session

Assists Congress with information and analysis on U.S., foreign, comparative, and international law

.

Training in the following topics:
-Legislative research
-Statutory research
-Orientation to Law Library collections
-Congress.gov

Library of Congress Reading Rooms

Library of Congress, Jefferson, Madison, and Adams Buildings

A list of all reading rooms can be found at http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/inforeas/reading.html. Hours vary, but most reading rooms are open M-F 8:30a-5p. A few are open until 9:30p M/W/Th, and a few are open on Saturdays. Hours for all reading rooms can be found at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hours.html. Library of Congress staff are able to assist with identifying and requesting materials in general and specialized reading rooms. General and specialized orientations are also available (see https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/inforeas/orient.html). House of Representatives

House Learning Center

B249B/C Longworth HOB

202-226-3800

[email address scrubbed]

https://housenet.house.gov/training

campus/service-providers/house-learning-centerc

M-F 8:30a-5:30p

Legislative training topics include:

- Legislative Concepts (taught by CRS)
-Legislative Information System (LIS.gov) and Congress.gov
-ProQuest
-National Journal
-GAO: An Introduction to the Congressional Watchdog

Other, Congress.gov, and subscription resources such as ProQuest, CQ, and Bloomberg Government. Other training topics such as Constituent Correspondence, ethics, and many moreGIS are also available for online and in-person training

. Some training sessions are available online.

House Library

263138 Cannon

202-225-9000

[email address scrubbed]

http://extranet.clerk.house.gov/library

https://housenet.house.gov/legislative/research-and-references/house-libraryd

M-F 9a-6p

ResearchOffers research assistance, subject guides, database access and training

. Staff lead trainings on ProQuest, Congress.gov, and digital mapping held in the House Learning Center.

Senate

Senate Library

Russell B15

202-224-7106

[email address scrubbed]

http://webster/library

e

M-F 9a-6p (and whenever the Senate is in session)

Research assistance and training.

Training includes

-News resources
-Congressional Record
-Desktop research tools
-LIS.gov and Congress.gov
-Other classes and custom training is available

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Additional Resources

Table A-1. Legislative Research Resources

(provides additional details on information explored in Table 1)

CQ (Congressional Quarterly)

http://www.cq.com

CRS reports and products from bill records, the homepage, and help pages.

Executive Order Disposition Tables, National Archives and Records Administration

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/

Govinfo.gov provides free online access to official publications from all three branches of the federal government.

Govinfo.gov is managed by the Government Publishing Office (GPO). It is replacing GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys).

ProQuest Congressional

congressional.proquest.com

offices.

ATS is a web application that displays images of submitted and proposed amendments to legislation pending before the U.S. Senate. Amendments are available on ATS approximately 15 minutes after the Bill Clerk receives them.

Description

URL

Congress.gov

Congress.gov is the official source for federal legislative information. It will eventually replace LIS.gov, though both sites are currently up to date and in use. The new Congress.gov provides: (1) a single search across all available information and years; (2) permanent URLs; (3) faceted search; (4) Member profiles; and (5) bill summaries and lists of actions for legislation. The new site permits users with legislative branch devices to access Offers research assistance, database access, and training. Staff offer classes both in-person and via webinar on news sources, Congress.gov, and various subscription databases.

Source: Compiled by CRS.

a. The CRS website (http://www.crs.gov) is available only from congressional computers and devices. b. The Library of Congress Congressional Relations Office website (http://www.loc.gov/lcnet/) is available only from congressional computers and devices. c. The House Learning Center website (https://housenet.house.gov/campus/service-providers/house-learning-center) is available only from congressional computers and devices. d. The House Library website (https://housenet.house.gov/legislative/research-and-references/house-library) is available only from congressional computers and devices. e. The Senate Library website (http://webster/library) is available only from Senate computers and devices. Appendix. Alphabetical Listing of Resources with Descriptions Table A-1 provides an alphabetical listing of, and additional details about, the resources listed in Table 1, Table 3, and Table 4. Table A-1. Alphabetical List of Resources with Descriptions

Description

Congress.gov

http://www.congress.gov

Congress.gov is the official source for federal legislative information. It also provides access to the Congressional Record Daily, committee reports, nominations, treaty documents, and executive communications. Congress.gov provides (1) a single search across all available information and years; (2) permanent URLs; (3) faceted search filters; (4) Member profiles; and (5) bill summaries and lists of actions for legislation. The site gives users with legislative branch devices access to CRS reports and products from bill records, the homepage, and help pages. (Congress.gov will eventually replace LIS.gov, though both sites are currently up to date and in use. The LIS retirement date is targeted for December 2018.)

http://www.congress.gov/

CBO

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) produces independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the congressional budget process. CBO does not make policy recommendations.

http://www.cbo.gov/

CQ

This subscription database provides bill textstext, summaries, tracking, and analysis. Also includes (but is not limited to) roll-call votes, legislative histories, floor and committee schedules, detailed committee coverage, hearing transcripts. Coverage varies by information category. A basic CQ.com subscription CQ.com is available in all Senate and in most HouseHouse and Senate offices.

C-SPAN

http://www.c-span.org

C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit company that provides public access to the political process. Includes a searchable video library of hearings, floor debate, press conferences, speeches, and other types of news programs and events.

eCFR (electronic Code of Federal Regulations)

http://www.ecfr.gov

The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a regularly updated, unofficial editorial compilation of CFR material and Federal Register amendments.

The text of executive orders appears in the daily Federal Register as each executive order is signed by the President and received by the Office of the Federal Register. Disposition Tables contain information about executive orders beginning with those signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and are arranged according to presidential administration and year of signature. The tables are compiled and maintained by the Office of the Federal Register editors at the National Archives and Records Administration.

FederalRegister.gov

http://www.federalregister.gov

This site is jointly administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) to provide an unofficial, HTML edition of the daily Federal Register to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in government decisionmaking.

govinfo.gov

http://www.govinfo.gov

http://www.cq.com

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

The CFDA is the primary source of information on federal grants and nonfinancial assistance programs; actual funding depends upon annual budget appropriations. After grantseekers identify federal programs in CFDA and contact state agency representatives, they may register and apply at websites such as Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) or FedConnect (http://www.fedconnect.net).

https://www.cfda.gov

Cornell LII

The Cornell Legal Information Institute provides an unofficial but freely available, searchable and easy to navigate version of the U.S. Code.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/

C-SPAN

C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit company that provides public access to the political process. Includes a searchable video library of hearings, floor debate, press conferences, speeches, and other types of news programs and events.

http://www.c-span.org

Federalregister.gov

This site is jointly administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) to provide an unofficial, HTML edition of the daily Federal Register to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in government decision-making.

http://www.federalregister.gov

GPO FDsys

The Government Printing Office Federal Digital System provides free online access to official publications from all three branches of the federal government.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC

LLSDC provides a freely available list of state legislatures, laws, and regulations websites and contact information. In addition, the LLSDC provides a set of legislative research guides called the Legislative Source Book (http://llsdc.org/sourcebook/).

http://www.llsdc.org/state-legislation

LIS.gov

The purpose of the Legislative Information System (LIS) is to provide Members of Congress and their staff with access to legislative information that is accurate, timely, and complete. LIS is not available to the public. LIS will be replaced by Congress.gov sometime after the close of 2016.

http://www.lis.gov/

National Archives and Records Administration

Disposition Tables contain information about Executive Orders beginning with those signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and are arranged according to presidential administration and year of signature. The tables are compiled and maintained by the Office of the Federal Register editors.

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/

Office of Management and Budget

The OMB website provides the President's Budget, including, for example: Analytical Perspectives (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Analytical_Perspectives), the Appendix (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Appendix), and Historical Tables (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals).

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget

ProQuest Congressional

This subscription database contains detailed abstracts and links to the full text of many congressional and federal documents, such as the Congressional Record, congressional hearing transcripts, committee prints, and legislative histories. Length of coverage varies depending on the category of information, although most categories are covered starting in 1789 or at some point in the 1800s. ProQuest Congressional is available to all House and Senate offices.

http://congressional.proquest.com

Reginfo.gov

This site provides information about the status of agency documents undergoing Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) review.

http://www.reginfo.gov/public/

RegulationsRegulations.gov http://www.regulations.gov

This site provides a government-wide portal for the public to review and comment on published regulatory actions and to view any supporting materials provided by the agency.

http://www.regulations.gov

Senate Amendment Tracking System

The Amendment Tracking System (ATS)

Senate Amendment Tracking System (ATS)

ats.senate.gov

http://ats.senate.gov/

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Table A-2. Related CRS Products

The main edition of the U.S. Code is published every six years by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel (OLRC) of the House of Representatives, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R42638, Appropriations: CRS Experts, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-706, Bills and Resolutions: Examples of How Each Kind Is Used, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-728, Bills, Resolutions, Nominations, and Treaties: Characteristics, Requirements, and Uses, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-437, Calendars

U.S. Code (Office of the Law Revision Counsel)

uscode.house.gov

CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R40897, Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL30812, Federal Statutes: What They Are and Where to Find Them, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-169, House Committee Reports: Required Contents, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RS20991, Legislative Planning: Considerations for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RS21363, Legislative Procedure in Congress: Basic Sources for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RS20120, Legislative Support Resources: Offices and Websites for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL30787, Parliamentary Reference Sources: House of Representatives, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL30788, Parliamentary Reference Sources: Senate, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL34012, Resources for Grantseekers, by Merete F. Gerli

CRS Report 98-305, Senate Committee Reports: Required Contents, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-429, The Senate's Calendar of Business, coordinated by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-438, The Senate's Executive Calendar, coordinated by [author name scrubbed]

Figure A-1. The Course of Legislation in Congress

Source: Created by CRS.

Note: See CRS Report R42843, Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress, by [author name scrubbed], for more information on legislative process.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], with annual cumulative supplements. The current edition of the Code was published in 2006. The default version of the Code available for searching and browsing on the website is the most current of the online versions. The OLRC staff updates this version on an ongoing basis.

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Author Contact Information

Sarah W. Caldwell
, Senior Research Librarian ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
[author name scrubbed]Ada S. Cornell, Senior Research Librarian ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
[author name scrubbed], SeniorMichele L. Malloy, Research Librarian ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])